Lighting and other electrical loads can have a variable control. For example, intensity of a light can be controlled by a dimming control. Such control can be accomplished using a potentiometer. The setting of the potentiometer can correspond to a desired output level.
Such dimming controls can use a potentiometer having a linear actuator, a rotary actuator, or the like. When a linear actuator is used, a slide mechanism can be used as an interface for a user. With a slide mechanism, the actuator can be moved linearly rather than rotated as with a rotary potentiometer. An aesthetically pleasing knob can be attached to the actuator of the potentiometer. However, a gap in a plate of the slide mechanism that allows the actuator to have a range of motion can expose the potentiometer and potentially other internal structures and circuitry.